High-precision relative locations of two microearthquake clusters in southeastern Sicily, Italy

In November 1999 and January 2000, two microearthquake swarms occurred in southeastern Sicily (Italy). They were analytically located in the depth range 17-25 km, some kilometers northward from the buried front of a regional foredeep, below the active thrust zone of the Sicily mountain chain. Their hypocentral distribution showed two distinct clusters, and comparison of the waveforms revealed clearly that the two swarms formed two distinct families of multiplet events. This led us to (1) carry out a precise relocation relative to two chosen master events of the families and (2) better define the geometrical structure of the two clusters. The cross-spectral method was applied to obtain precise readings of the wave onsets. SH wave onsets were used instead of P waves, as they showed clearer onsets and a good signal-to-noise ratio. Residuals of the relative locations showed small values, no more than several meters on average. The vertical extent of the two relocated clusters was 500 and 250 m, respectively, while the horizontal extent was 250 m. Hypocenters of the first cluster clearly delineate a north-northwest-trending plane with almost vertical dip, matching one nodal plane of the focal mechanism obtained as a composite solution of all events of the cluster. Given the considerable gap angles, because of unfavorable network geometry with respect to the events, the stability of our results was tested carrying out a Monte Carlo experiment. Varying the onset times randomly in the range of + or -5 msec, a dispersion of the locations less than 10 m in longitude and less than 50 m both in latitude and depth was found. Similar results were obtained when comparing relocations carried out with different master events. Thus, the overall geometrical characteristics of the clusters were not affected seriously by random errors. Considering the geostructural frame work of the region, together with the location and time evolution of the two clusters, fluids of plutonic origin are suggested as the trigger mechanism.